By Todd Spangler
NY Digital Editor
Netflix has given the green light to a new “Squid Game” slot machine — the streamer’s first consumer-products licensing deal in the casino and gambling industry.
The slot game is based on one of Netflix’s most popular shows of all time, the South Korean survival drama “Squid Game.” Built by gaming company Light & Wonder, it will integrate several iconic (and deadly) games from the show such as Red Light, Green Light; Tug of War; and the Glass Tile. Light & Wonder also will introduce a digital “Squid Game”-themed slots game featuring three bonus rounds based on the series.
The “Squid Game” slot machine will have a top prize starting at between $200,000 and $400,000, depending on the configuration, according to a Light & Wonder spokesperson.
The “Squid Game” slot machine is expected to hit casino floors in 2024. Per Light & Wonder, the game will be housed in the company’s Horizon large-screen jumbo cabinet, which features a 75-inch screen with 600,000 individual micro-LED pixels. It also includes a 27-inch touch screen with a mobile charger and dual play buttons “for an immersive and seamless player experience.”
Las Vegas-based Light & Wonder (formerly known as Scientific Games) says it has 6,000 employees worldwide. The company produces and markets both physical and digital games.
Here’s a sizzle reel of Light & Wonder’s forthcoming game:
Meanwhile, Netflix is gearing up to launch a pop-up immersive experience called “Squid Game: The Trials,” opening in L.A. on Dec. 6. Players will compete in six different challenges over the course of 70 minutes. Ticket prices start at $39 each; more info at this link.
The slot machine and the IRL game experience represent the latest initiatives by Netflix to build a franchise around the surprise success of “Squid Game,” which debuted in 2021.
A second season of “Squid Game” is in the works, while Netflix has set a Nov. 22 premiere date for “Squid Game: The Challenge,” a reality show in which 456 contestants from around the world will compete for a single $4.56 million cash prize.
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